Becoming a NEW TRUCKER in Ontario

After 20 years of sitting in front of a computer, I'm trying to decide if a career in trucking is going to be the right fit for me. I was recently laid off by my employer (I worked in advertising as a graphic designer and the company I worked for had Target as a major client). No Target in Canada = me out of work.

I'm hoping to take advantage of this hiccup as a leap towards my AZ training and licensing. I will be filing my EI claim this week, getting my physical, and without any unforeseen medical issues, take my Class A driving test. From there, I will see if Service Canada will help pay for the cost of retraining. Trucking is kind of in my bloodline -- both my father and brother have been long time drivers (delivery DZ, dump truck, but not AZ). I also have an uncle and cousin who are OTR drivers, and my mother's father was a lifelong heavy machinery mechanic.

I'm trying to avoid a lot of negativity on the forums towards the industry, and look at the positives, but I'm reaching out to get more specific advice:

• TRAINING: CHET vs. Humber College vs. ... ? -- I visited CHET and was impressed by their set-up and more importantly how close it is to where I live. Humber would entail a bit of a commute, but in the end I want the best training available.
• SALARY: What can I realistically expect to make as a driver in Southern Ontario? My wife is a teacher and I don't plan on moving of the GTA area anytime soon, so my job will be out of Mississauga/Toronto.
• LIFE TIME GOAL: My general plan is to start out doing local driving if it's available, and as time goes on, do OTR. I'm not avoiding OTR, but my son is still young and would like to be home at least 3/4 nights a week. As I get more experienced, I'm looking at becoming an Owner/Operator.

I'm doing this for 2 reasons: 1) I'm tired of sitting in an office and I'm not afraid of manual labour. Money is not the driving force for this change. 2) Maybe this is a mid-life crisis, but I'm looking for a job that will take me to retirement (if I live that long - haha).

Thanks for reading!

- Sheldo